8 Ways to become More Eco-Friendly
Published: Thursday, 09 February 2023
8 Ways to Become More Eco-Friendly
Sustainability and eco-friendliness are key initiatives across the world as we continue to combat climate change and preserve the environment as well as to save costs.
If you're looking for ways to become eco-friendly and potentially lower your outgoings, our top tips below will provide you with the advice you need on how to be more eco-friendly.
Why should you become more eco-friendly?
In the UK, there are strict targets in place for us to reduce our impact on the environment and lower carbon emissions. The government has pledged to reduce the country's greenhouse-gas emissions to net zero by the year 2050.
By lowering our carbon emissions, we can help with worldwide efforts to slow down climate change and help keep the environment in a safe and healthy state. As well as benefiting the environment, learning how to be more sustainable can also help your pockets.
Energy efficiency is key to eco-friendliness, and by using energy more efficiently, you can save money on your energy bills and lower your carbon footprint.
How to be more eco-friendly
If you're looking for ways to become more sustainable and create a more eco-friendly home or business, the good news is that this isn't a difficult task. You can boost your eco-friendliness with a few simple measures.
Here are our tips on how to become more eco-friendly:
1. Use energy more efficiently
A quick and simple measure, you can lower your carbon footprint significantly by simply using energy in a more efficient way. For example, switching lights off when they're not needed, or implementing heating zones in your property to only heat rooms that are occupied could help bring your energy usage levels down.
2. Turn off standby mode
Did you know that your electrical appliances still use energy when they are in standby mode? This is known as "phantom power" and it is responsible for a large amount of energy wastage across homes and businesses.
One of the easiest and most effective ways to lower your energy consumption is to switch your appliances off standby mode. According to the Metro Online, a staggering £432 million is wasted each year by UK households leaving their television in standby mode*. As this is just one appliance, even more savings could be made by turning all of the appliances in your space off standby. According to the Energy Savings Trust, UK homes could save up to £55 on annual energy bills by turning alliances off completely at the switch**.
3. Choose energy efficient appliances
Another key method for saving energy is to ensure that you choose energy efficient appliances. If you have old, inefficient electrics in your home, you're likely to be consuming an excessive amount of energy. Choosing products such as low-energy LEDs and efficient electric radiators can allow you to cut your costs significantly without having to compromise on product performance.
To ensure that you only select energy efficient appliances for your home or office space, we recommend looking out for product energy labels. Energy labels tell you about the efficiency rating of a product and let you know whether they'll be able to help you lower your carbon footprint. Find out more about energy labels and ratings in our helpful energy rating guide.
4. Switch to an EV
You could lower your carbon footprint significantly by trading in your combustion engine vehicle for a more Eco-friendly electric charger car. EVs are known for being better for the planet, as unlike petrol and diesel cars, they do not emit any exhaust gases and thus help to reduce air population. Despite their high initial costs, EVs have lower running costs than petrol and diesel vehicles, which means that they provide an excellent opportunity for you to boost savings. You can efficiently and conveniently charge your vehicle at home with a domestic EV charger, or at work with a workplace charger. You can also select a renewable EV energy tariff to boost your savings and further benefit the environment by using sustainable sources of energy. With a ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars set to be issued in 2030, you could effectively future-proof your travel by switching to an electric vehicle.
5. Boost thermal efficiency
A great way to save energy is to boost your building's thermal efficiency. There are a number of ways in which you can do this. Firstly, you should target the ways in which you heat your home - investing in a new gas boiler or switching to 100% efficient electric radiators can help to reduce your energy consumption significantly. Additionally, in order to successfully reduce your energy consumption, you'll need to monitor and modify the way you heat your home. This can be easily done with a room thermostat or smart thermostat, as these devices allow you to control your heating and ensure that it is only in use when needed.
Another highly effective way of increasing thermal efficiency is to invest in insulation. Insulating your space will help to keep your rooms warm in winter and cool during the summer. A cheap and effective alternative to insulation is draught-proofing, a process which involves sealing gaps in areas such as windows, doors and flooring. By making it easier for you to maintain your ideal temperatures, insulation and draugh-proofing can reduce your reliance on your heating systems and thus reduce your energy consumption.
6. Use water more efficiently
Did you know that water heating accounts for over half of the average UK household's monthly energy spend? Due to this, both households and businesses could save a significant amount of energy by using water in a more efficient manner. For households, investing in an energy-efficient shower head, choosing a quick 5 minute shower over a bath and fully loading the dishwasher and washing machine can all help to make your home more Eco-friendly.
For commercial spaces, choosing efficient dual flush toilets and adding tap aerators in bathrooms and kitchens can help to reduce water consumption and keep your energy bills as low as possible.
7. Go paperless
A classic way of creating an Eco-friendly home or business, going paperless can help the environment in a number of ways. The key benefit of going paperless is that it reduces deforestation and helps to protect the trees on our planet, promoting cleaner air. Using less paper also conserves the energy that would be used to convert trees into paper and also to transport paper products to different locations. The process of manufacturing paper produces nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides, and carbon dioxide which all contribute heavily to environmental pollution and lead to water pollution, acid raid and the production of greenhouse gases. Thus, going paperless is a simple and effective solution for those wondering how to be more Eco-friendly.
8. Reuse, Recycle & Repair
Last but certainly not least, a good old reuse, recycle and repair can help to lower your carbon footprint and help you become more sustainable.From clothing to furniture, food and packaging, reducing waste is an effective way of boosting your Eco-friendliness. Add some recycling bins to your space and encourage those around you to maximise the lifespan of the products they use in order to successfully establish an Eco-friendly home or business.
Boost your eco-friendliness with YESSS Electrical
YESSS Electrical specialise in supplying top-of-the-range, energy-efficient electrical supplies for homeowners and businesses across the UK. If you're looking for ways to boost your sustainability, we can provide you with a range of products to help you meet your goals. From low-energy LED lighting and EV chargers to electric radiators and showers, you'll find everything you need and more from our diverse collection. Shop with YESSS Electrical today.
** https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/hub/quick-tips-to-save-energy/